Board games have been a popular form of entertainment for many years, including game concepts where moveable pieces are employed. There are many relatively simple forms of such board games, including well-known games such as checkers or dominoes, which essentially comprise only a specified number of game pieces and a set of rules for determining game piece movement on or across a game board.
While these more simple games are diverting and entertaining, and may be quite challenging in the hands of more advanced players, numerous game concepts have been subsequently developed embodying increasing complexity, resulting in enhanced enjoyment and interest for players. For example, games such as Life™ and Monopoly™ are well-known versions of these more complex game concepts wherein additional game components are introduced to enhance game play, such as individual player tokens, dice for determining movement of player tokens, game cards providing instructions during game play, game currency, and other game pieces (such as the “hotels” of Monopoly™). In addition, these more complex game concepts can present interesting thematic aspects, such as the real estate transactions of Monopoly™.
While increased complexity and additional game components can enhance the entertainment value for players and encourage skills development, and such new developments would therefore be desirable, conceptual developments embodying heightened complexity can limit the potential uses of a novel board or board accessory to a particular game concept.